Autumn Kale Caesar Salad
This autumn kale caesar salad is a fun, seasonal take on a classic salad! It's filled with earthy autumn flavors like roasted sweet potato, crunchy kale leaves, crisp bacon, and toasted pepitas.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bunch kale chopped
- ½ cup roasted chickpeas
- ½ cup croutons
- 2 tbsp pepitas
- 2-4 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 2-3 tbsp grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp caesar dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix chopped sweet potato with olive oil, salt, and pepper, mixing until coated well.
- Bake the sweet potato for 30-40 minutes, until fork tender and slightly browned in color. If you haven't prepared the chickpeas in advance, you can roast them at the same time as the sweet potato.
- Chop the kale and add it to a large mixing bowl. Add in the caesar dressing and parmesan cheese, gently mixing until the kale is coated well.
- Gently mix in the roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, and croutons until combined, then add the pepitas and bacon on top before serving.
Notes
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe - it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Mix the kale with the dressing and parmesan first before you add in the other ingredients–that way the dressing and cheese will cover the greens completely and the sweet potatoes won't get squished from too much mixing!
- Add some fall nuts. I love the flavor of this salad with just pepitas added, but a crunchy nut like pecans or walnuts would also be a delicious addition!
- Make your own croutons. Store-bought croutons are delicious, but if you have any bread that's going stale, use this as an opportunity to bake it until crisp and make your own croutons out of it!